Special Individuals, A Class That Gets You Thinking

I just printed off a bunch of materials for my classes (forms and such that need to be signed) and I swear I have a few dead trees sitting in front of me... I feel like a bad person :(

My class, Intro to Special Individuals, was interesting today. We watched a movie with a teacher trying to explain to adults what it feels like to have a learning disability. Most of these people in the video were not LD but after he went through the elements of F.A.T. (frustration, anxiety, and tension) it made me see how even someone that's not learning disabled could be discouraged in a classroom. The man took the lesson quickly, gave no praises for "students" that got answers right, dished out rude remarks and sarcasm when someone had a wrong answer, and had most of the people not wanting to answer. I could see this as something that occured throughout high school in classes I attended. When the guy started explaining why these methods of teaching were wrong and gave the point of view of the LD child, I started thinking, have I been like this in a classroom or with kids? I sure hope not, I would feel like a complete and total jerk if I did... He gave options on how to avoid that teacher behavior and encourage LD kids to come out of their shells and feel successful. He also explained the differences in perception between the kids and the teacher. The teacher has had more experience so just because a child doesn't know the answer to a question, it doesn't mean the teacher is more superior and the child is stupid. Everybody needs help some time.

Anyway, enough about class! I'm excited about a number of things at this moment

• I'm blogging! No slobbing around today!
• I got the Apex space for the wedding
• This is a double edged sword though... Not only does it cost a lot already, no one has been around to take my check for the past week... How am I supposed to pay if there's no one to hand teh check to??
• My Business Math class is the easiest class in the world. It's easy to the point of insulting to my intelligence. Thank God I can get an A in something.

Cael is starting to get some sickness :( It involves him waking up coughing and coughing throughout the day. It's a wet cough but it's not "productive." Hopefully it goes away soon... Brad and I have been having sore throat problems and I have a weird cough that comes and goes but neither of us are too ill.

Well, I have to cut off here so i can drive home and pick up my baby boy! Oops sorry, big boy ;)

Back To School, Back To School

Well here I am, sitting in the SFCC computer lab, not doing homework again! ;) Just kidding, I have no homework to do yet and all of my necessary forms to turn in are located on my laptop.

It feels extremely weird being back in an actual school setting. I've gotten so used to the online thing that I almost totally forgot how to act in a classroom lol most of it's easy to remember though. I think I've made a few friends in my MW class. They're pretty nice to talk to. One is the same major as me, the other is majoring in Nursing and hoping to get off the waiting list for UCM. I hope she does! It sounds like she's overly qualified to be in the program.

Yesterday was super entertaining. I got to play Bunco with the ladies I work with. This is my second time going and it has been fun each time! Plus it's a game where everyone wins something. I seem to have the knack for getting picked last for prizes lol but that's cool with me. I love spending time with my coworkers outside of work. They are so funny!

Cael's class has been having a bug going around and I think it finally caught him. He had two super runny diapers within a short time period so he went home with Judy. I don't think he minded being with Dede at all :) I just got a text from her saying that Cael took a long nap and hasn't had a fever or anymore loose diapers. Good, I don't like it when my baby is sick! We've also been through pink eye recently. Poo on eyedrops.

Wedding plans are in full swing now. Brad and I have decided on FBC in Warrensburg, but only if we can use the Apex as our reception space. I'm currently waiting for the call abut their meeting to decide this. The fee for non-members is $900, half paid ASAP and the other half paid after the engaged couples' class ends. If we can't get the Apex though, our budget will be reduced to very little if we stay with FBC. a second option in the Presbyterian church that Judy is a member of. They have a really pretty sanctuary (from the outside at least; it has a beautiful stained glass window) and a small  reception space. We also have to pick out a pastor but since all the pastors from FBC that Brad knew have moved away, we're unsure who to pick. Brad's doing a lot of "I don't care" but I think that's because I always catch him at a bad time.

It's also been hard to pick out bridesmaids/groomsmen. Neither of us is sure who we're going to pick (other than the obvious siblings and such). I'm basing the number of bridesmaids I have on how many groomsmen he picks but Brad doesn't know who to choose for the roles. He's got a lot of options! I'm not sure who my bridesmaids will be even when he does decide on his groomsmen. It's a tough decision :S

Cael has been really talkative. Well, he always has been, just more so lately. He is making whole sentences without being fed lines by someone. The other day I was trying to lay down on the couch with him to watch Brad play Borderlands with a friend of ours. We used to do this all the time before Cael would go to bed. I would lay down on my pillow and he would lay next to me on my arm. This night he pushed away from me and said, "No Mommy. No cuddle." Not gonna lie, it crushed me a little. My baby boy doesn't want to cuddle? I have to keep reminding myself that he's not my baby anymore. As he tells me, "Cael big boy." He has also acquired an affinity for Mario. Monday night, Cael saw Brad playing a game on the XBox and Cael said to him, "Please play my Mario" (He says Mario "mon-nee-no" and it's the cutest thing ever. He also likes "wee-gee," or Luigi lol). He also may be the only kid his age the knows the 1960s Batman theme song. Cael sings, "Na na na na Batman!" when we're in the car. He has Batman sunglasses, Batman pjs, and a Batman cape (the cape's at Dede's house; it's Brad's old cape) :) Birthday planning for Cael has been hard for us, mostly because Cael has to choose between Batman, Mario, Yo Gabba Gabba, Bubbleguppies, and Elmo for themes.

Oh, another odd thing that Cael likes: Rocko's Modern Life. You know, that cartoon from the old Nickelodeon. It's pretty funny to see him giggling along with whatever is happening.

And Cael is pottying! We're not fuly potty-training him yet but he goes pee and poop on the big boy potty (he has an Elmo one from Santa)! He likes getting stickers on his daily sheet at school. He has Spiderman stickers :)

Hopefully since I've started classes up again, I can blog more often (yeah, right, like that will happen). I like having a little downtime and not having to work on my schoolwork at home as much!

Wedding Things Are Clouding My Brain

Holy crap, has this week been nuts! Between working sporadic hours, homework, wedding planning, house cleaning, and spending time with Brad and Cael, I'm exhausted! I had two midterm exams this week and I'll have two next week as well, not to mention observations and other larger assignments. Poo!
Today was nice though. I made breakfast for Martha (a long-time friend of Brad's and a coworker of mine) and her family when they came over to move her into the apartment across the hall from us. It will be so nice to have a familiar face in the building. She will be living with her friend Caitlin, who's pretty funny. I've only met her once but she was pretty cool lol She also went to school with Martha and Brad. She had to work so she wasn't there this morning.

I was so stinking productive today! I cleaned the kitchen, the living room, and Cael's room. Cael stayed at Judy's house until about 3 when we went to lunch. Cael and Brad napped and I did a crapload of homework and tests. When we got home from lunch, Cael and I vacuumed and got his race track rug to stop sliding around. I put some rug gripping sheets on the bottom and Cael helped me tape them on. He did a really good job! He even taped on the edges of the gripper all by himself! After we finished cleaning in his room (which was trashed two minutes after the rug was put back) we went to Dollar General and Parkers. Currently Parkers is having a promotion where you get dollar amounts punched out of a game card and when all the values have been punched out, you take the card to the customer service counter to claim your prize. Every card has a dollar amount on it from $1 to $1000. I was $32 short of being able to scratch it off today! I have a feeling mine is the $1000 card ;) but I'll be happy with anything.

When we came back from the store, Cael and I played outside with his big red ball for a good 15 minutes. It was great to bounce the ball back and forth with him and see how excited he got every time he caught the ball or kicked it. Once in a while he looked and pointed up at the sky and said, "Stars! Stars!" so we would lay back on the grass and talk about them for 10 seconds. Then it was back to the ball :)

I've been working on wedding stuff ever since Cael went to bed. Well, excluding the time where I made a run to McDonald's for Brad. McRIB IS BACK :D I worked on the guest list some more and I realized that we have roughly 200 guests, assuming everyone comes. That's a lot of people! I think we may have to find a different reception venue... But maybe not. I'm also trying to work out what accessories we need for the wedding (guest book, flower girl basket, bubbles, ring bearer pillow, etc.) so I can tell if I need to buy them or if I can make them. Luckily, I had a little experience with making boutonnieres for my aunt Carol's wedding and my mom knows how to make bouquets and stuff (she did it for her wedding). I think we can make a lot of things to cut down on cost. And most of the non-creatable things will be bought through Oriental Trading so they'll be pretty cheap. It's crazy to think we have less than a year before Brad and I get married!

I'm ready for October to come closer to an end. This is for two reasons. 1) Brad finds out from KCP&L if he got the meter reading job or not. He's really excited about it too. I hope he gets it because I think he would love the job! And 2) because I can't wait to see Cael in his Halloween costume! He's going to be a UPS man like Papa Shane :) He's really excited about it too! I don't know if I can handle having more candy in the house though... It's tempting enough for me but Cael is ridiculous about his candy. He throws fits if I say no, just like any kid. I just hate the tantrums. Best to avoid them all together...

I can't wait to see what unfolds tomorrow. I'm hoping to get laundry and home work done, plus clean the bathroom. Then all that will be left for this week is our bedroom. Hopefully Aunt Flo doesn't put me out of commission like she tried to do this evening... I felt like I was punched in the gut... Thank goodness for Tylenol, master of OTC pain medication!

Well I'm heading to bed! Good night!

Though technically it's morning... Oh well...

OMG Pain

For quite a few days (since Saturday) I have had an awful stomach pain + nausea. It sucked royally. I tried everything to get rid of it: Tums, Pepto, Tylenol, ibuprofen, heating pad, ice. You name it, I probably did it. And it STILL wouldn't go away. My ultimate solution? Doctor. Again. And she said that, according to my urine sample, I had quite a bit of blood being peed out of me. From this she drew the conclusion that I have kidney stones. Whoa, wait, what? Pretty much what I thought lol She set me up with an antibiotic and a special pain med (which Walgreens did not fill D:< ) and sent me home with a pee-catcher and a strainer so I can go "kidney stone fishing" (my doctor's words, not mine). Sure enough, I come home to use said pee-catcher and strainer and I caught a sliver of a stone! It was super weird and I looked it up on Google just to be sure it was one. It's the tiniest little square I've ever seen and it hurt like a mofo to get out (I actually just had the same pain a second ago). Luckily, I know I'm not dying and that I don't have appendicitis or gallstones :)

Cael has been such a daddy's buddy lately! Brad has been working on a new phrase that has stuck: "Love Dada." Cael also uses this phrase for Dede, GiGi, and Papa....but not Mama :'( But I still get more hugs and kisses from Cael so I guess that counts for something!

Cael is also getting in a new tooth, a canine this time. It's taking FOREVER to come through. It's taking even longer than the molars did! He's going to look so big when he has a mouth full of teeth! It's hard to believe he is 18 months old already... And he talks so much! Today in the car, he was jabbering on and on about something but he was stringing actual words together in a nonsensical way. I can't even remember what he was saying, I was laughing so hard at how serious and important he sounded! But every words he said was an actual word, not just babble.

My classes aren't sucking too bad yet... I'm just not getting things turned in the time I want to. Like I should be working on it right now but I'm blogging instead... Shame upon me. But I enjoy blogging more than homework :)

Good Gracious, Can I Ever Post Regularly?!

This past week has been crrrrrrrraaaaaaaaazy. First off, we somehow ended up getting fleas, though we have no flea-carriers as pets. We have guppies. It just makes me mad that it happened. And our neighbor across that hall, who had a cat, has moved out so maybe they came from her.
The daycare has been experiencing an outbreak of Hand Foot and Mouth disease so my work days have been pretty slow. We have usually 8 to 10 kids out of our 16 enrolled. And Cael caught it as well so Wednesday I stayed home with my poor, miserable boy... His little bottom, elbows, legs, and feet are covered in red blisters and I had even seen some in his mouth, though they've gone away now, thank goodness. Only a few more days until they're gone. He's in a better mood than he was on Wednesday, that's for sure. Cael was also diagnosed with an ear infection on top of that >.<

My classes started up on Monday and so far, they've been going pretty well. They're all "major-centered" classes and I think they'll be really valuable for my current class :) There is a lot of observing that I have to do this semester too.

Brad has been seaching for a new job recently, since his current isn't exactly a healthy environment any more (politics and disagreements among coworkers mostly). He heard back from KCP&L, the electric company that facilitates Warrensburg and the Kansas City area, to take the test for meter reading. Hopefully we'll hear his test results soon!

We had also been saving up for a Wii system and finally, two weekends ago, a deal came up at Hastings for purchasing a new Wii and getting two used Wii games for free. We just couldn't pass it up! We ended up getting $300 worth of Wii entertainment items for less than $200. We've been playing it ever since. We also broke dwn and got a Netflix account (which I am addicted to). It has quite a few of our favorite shows and movies on it, like "Super Why" and "Dinosaur Train" for Cael and "The Tudors" and "Law and Order: SVU" for me. Brad also found "Rugrats" episodes and we have been watching them non-stop! He also found "AAH! Real Monsters!" so we will continue our retro Nickelodeon shows after "Rugrats" is done. Brad has also caught me up on some great comedians too like George Carlin.

Brad's birthday is in 4 days! It's amazing how much time has passed. He'll be 21 so we're planning a little get-together with his friends at our apartment. Brad's mom has said she will watch Cael for us on Friday night and I will be the designated driver/key holder at the party. I'm actually looking forward to it even though I can't drink. We're hooking up a bunch of game consoles to a bunch of TVs in our living room so we can have a bunch of games going on at the same time and no one has to wait for a turn to play. I can't wait! :)

A New Trip To Visit Family

I finally got Brad to come with me on a trip! We are visiting my aunt, uncle, and cousin in Ohio with my mom, sister, and grandma. It's been rather uneventful so far lol a super long car ride + Cael screaming every few hours + my sister = very irritated travelers lol

Today I believe we are going to the Newport Aquarium in Kentucky. I bet Cael will love seeing all the fishies :)

A great thing happened while we were on the road though! Brad got an email from YouTube to have a partnership with them! That means, for every view he gets on his YouTube videos, he gets a set amount of money. Plus it means ads will be put in with his videos so every time someone clicks on an ad (whether intentionally or not) he will get a share of that money as well. Every so often (I think Brad said after he accumulates $100) YouTube will give the money to him :) This is a really big deal because it means he's gaining recognition in the YouTube world. I'm very happy for him and proud of him for making such an accomplishment! I love you Brad! <3

Well I'm going ot head off here so I can wake up said loved man and shower :)

If you want to visit Brad's channel, the link is here! Or you can go to YouTube and type in "TheGoveta" and search for his channel. He has lots of videos of his competitive Pokemon battles and a playthrough of Pokemon Ash's Quest (they are super cool!). There's even a couple battles with me in them! Go check it out!

Weekend Post...The Result Of Procrastination And Forgetfulness

Cael has started so many new things, I don't even know where to begin! Of course, that's my fault for not posting as regularly as I should :/ Oh well.

To Cael, anything on the TV and anything new to Cael requires the question "Spider?" and Brad and I are not sure where this came from. We know for sure that he has seen spiders on one of the video games that Brad plays and in a book of "action songs" which has the Itsy Bitsy Spider in it, but we have no idea why he insists on asking if new things are spiders. It's pretty funny though! And he says "No" all the time now. If I ask him for a bite of food, he hands it to me then snatches it back and says "No!" with that goofy smile of his. And if he doesn't want something, he says "no" instead of screaming his displeasure. I have to say, I prefer no over screaming lol

Well, Brad has finally done the impossible... He convinced me to get my own Runescape account. And I'm not doing to bad with it, surprisingly. I've got level 20 in my attack, strength, and defense skills (which is pretty good considering how quickly I got it). I just really like fishing and slaying :P

Brad has a couple of friends over tonight so I'm going to watch them play Little Big Planet :)

Goodbyes Are The Hardest

Well, one of my favorite little girls from daycare is moving away to Rhode Island. Today was her last day with us :( It was so sad, she gave me a hug goodbye and she looked up at me with her big, cute smile and says "I love you!"

I hugged her again and had to leave the room before I started bawling... I cleaned the room to distract myself and said goodbye again when she, her mom, and her older sister left.

I don't know how I'll make it through the weekend now. Cael's not coming back until Sunday and I might not ever see Abigail again :( I'll miss that sweet little girl.

On the plus side, we have a new friend in our room :) She's very adorable and amazingly well-behaved for a two year old! And she is beautiful. Like the kind of beautiful that makes you do a double-take and stare lol her mother is the same way.

Hopefully, if I don't act like a vegetable tomorrow, I can get all my cleaning done in less than 24 hours :) I'm really looking forward to it. I'm also planning on rearranging some furniture and organizing the things that need it. Luckily, we don't have to worry about packing up again. Brad and I had talked about finding a new place (duplex or house) so we don't have to deal with loud neighbors any more, but we couldn't find a good one in our price range. I don't mind staying in our four-plex for another year. It's in a nice neighborhood and the only really bad thing about it (besides one of our neighbors) is the train that passes right next to the building.

Well, I'm going to get off so I can read my Nook :)

The First Time Is The Hardest...

Well, just as planned, Cael is spending a weekend at my mom's house with my family...and without me :( I'm not gonna lie, I cried last night when we went to bed, today when I packed his bag on my lunch break, and 5 minutes after we left Columbia... I think I'll feel better tomorrow though. It's kind of like that homesickness thing when you're at summer camp. You cry the first night, but after that you're too busy to notice you miss home. I have plans for the whole weekend. I'm going to clean like crazy and go shopping. I'll go swimming, go on walks, and rearrange furniture in the house. I'm not going to give myself time to worry about it or be sad that I can't hug and kiss Cael whenever I want to.
I can do this...just give me a night to get the crying out of the way, and I'll bounce back tomorrow

The Story Of An Evening Walk

The walk started out simple enough. I walked across the street with Cael in the stroller. The sidewalk was clear of debris and bumps. The street was clear, except for the occasional sedan or minivan cruising by. Cael and I talked about the trees and grass until he fell into peaceful sleep. I continued walking along the road. The cardinals were singing their beautiful tunes, other birds chirping and tweeting filled the air as well. Black Eyed Susans bloomed amongst the wild grasses and pine trees. The scent of honeysuckle and freshly mowed lawns drifted lazily on the breeze.

Homes were alined on the opposite side of the street. They were impressive, with three stories, long driveways, and tall wooden fences. Children and small dogs played in some yards. Others contained families grilling on their back porches. A young girl and a younger boy in swimming suits squealed in delight as their mother, with her feet in an inflatable wading pool, sprayed at them with a hose. Fellow walkers greeted each other on the sidewalk as they passed, with "hello"s, "how are you"s, and "what a beautiful evening"s.

It was a perfect walk until...

vvvvvvrrrrroOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMmmmmmmm

A rusted truck with a faulty muffler zoomed by with the occupants catcalling and weaving all over the road, scaring the birds and stifling the pleasant outdoor smells with exhaust fumes.

I am completely amazed at how the world can be a wonderfully beautiful place with singing birds and carefree living, and in the next moment, make me wonder if non-lethal poison darts could be legally used on the asinine, insensitive, and imbecilic (albeit cricker-ish) human beings that inhabit the Earth.

Hating Yesterday, Loving Today, Wondering For Tomorrow

Yesterday SUCKED. No other word for it. Got in an argument with Brad, Cael has a sinus infection, felt paranoid and cruddy because I forgot my medicine, ended up not taking a walk (which threw off Cael's schedule so he cried for an hour before falling asleep)... Thank God it ended quickly!
Today was AWESOME. :)

I'll outline it for you lol

MY DAY

Got out of bed to a little boy who was SUPER happy to see me.

I got a kiss good-bye when Brad left for work.

When I took Cael to school, I found out he was being moved to the tots class today.

I got to take an awesome shower.

I got to shave without a screaming child banging on the bathroom door.

A Law & Order: SVU marathon was going on while I folded laundry.

I had enough money to pay bills and pay off my daycare balance.

I had an amazing tasty lunch: a Boca burger, peaches, and a Slim Fast chocolate shake.

I got to see Brad at lunch time.

When I got to work, I found out I would be letting a teacher in the infants' room go on break.

I got to hold and feed a baby.

I was smiled at by a baby.

I was spit up on by a very cute baby.

I wasn't mauled by the two year olds.

I got many kisses and hugs from "my girls" in the twos room.

Cael didn't cry when he saw me and I was holding other children.

I had a great dinner: Tyson chicken nuggets, McDonalds Sweet Tea, and more peaches (I like peaches)

I went on an amazing walk with a good friend and my good little boy.

I shared a popsicle with Cael.

Now I'm blogging :)

Soon Brad will play Paper Mario or Assasin's Creed 2 (I hope it's the latter!) for me to watch.

And it's not even my birthday yet!

I'm so grateful for everything I have and everything that has happened to me today :) I love my boys, Brad and Cael <3 I am complete today! I look forward to tomorrow!

:D

Today Was A Fairy Tale

Just kidding!

I had a pretty good day with Cael today :) I'm hoping we can keep it that way tomorrow too!

We started out having a lazy morning: watching cartoons, eating breakfast, reading books, and napping on the futon. Then we took a shopping adventure to the Dollar Tree (where the employees have no sense of customer service), Shoe Sensation, and Hastings (where we splurged on a PS3 game for Brad lol). We continued the adventure at Wal-Mart. We went up and down every aisle, since I knew we wouldn't be walking in the evening and Cael was having fun saying "hi" and waving to everyone we passed :) I'm glad he's a friendly kid!

After returning home for a nap and to put the groceries away, I got back to work on my knitting project (a sleeve for my camera since the one that came with the camera was way too small) while Brad played some more on Paper Mario. I was so proud of myself when I finished it! I was glad I had begun a project and actually finished through with it. It doesn't look too bad, but I'm not going to post any pictures of it because it's not the best. It gets the job done though!

When Cael woke up from his nap, we had a small lunch then went to the park with Judy, Brad's mom. Cael had lots of fun going up and down the steps, going down the slide, and running around, yelling at the top of his lungs :) He also met a new friend named Joshua while playing. They got along like they had been best friends for their whole lives. Cael seemed to be asking if Joshua wanted to go on the slide, then Joshua would shake his head, babble a little, and they would both walk over to a piece of play equipment they weren't old enough to climb on. They seemed to be devising a plan on how to manage such a tall and different structure and watched the bigger kids closely as if observing them to gain knowledge of how to move on the ladders and things.

Playing in the park left us wanting ice cream, and when I say "us" I mean Judy and me. So off to Dairy Queen we went. Cael ate two chicken strips and all of the kid-sized fries. Then he showed us a new trick: he can drink out of a straw! For quite a while, any time we went to a restaurant where Cael wanted our drinks, we would hold the end of the straw and drip the drink into his mouth. Well apparently, he had started sucking the liquid out and we didn't even realize it! I'm so happy he's learned this skill because now we may be able to trade sippy cups for cups with straws (better for mouth hygiene).

Brad, Cael, and I went over to Russ and Judy's house after the excursion to DQ and we all ate dinner before heading out to Jane's house (Brad's aunt) to play in the pool. It was really freaking cold in the pool so Cael and I didn't last very long in it. Brad, Andrew, Bryan, Kylan, and Matt (Brad's brother, cousin, cousin's girlfriend's son, and other cousin) played in the pool until 10 pm! Cael and I were pretty tired though so we decided to call it a night and head home. Cael went straight to sleep as soon as I put him in bed lol I preferred to stay up and blog a little :)

But now I'm heading to bed, so good night and sweet dreams!

New Developments In A Current Job Are Hardly Ever Good...

I found out from my employer today that, though she promised me more hours in the summer, she is giving the hours to a coworker that normally works in the infant room... This is making me very unhappy, not just because she promised me the hours, but also because she is now expecting me to pay the balance for Cael's tuition weekly, when she knows I get paid bi-weekly and because I decided not to take summer classes because I was promised more hours. I can't pay the daycare when I have no money and I'm running out of savings quickly and will soon have no money for a wedding either. Money SUCKS.

On the view of my summer classes (that I did NOT take because I was promised more hours), I could be closer to finishing my degree if I would've known she was not giving me more hours to work. One of the teachers in our room had to leave the job (hopefully just temporarily) since her spouse is having health problems and she needs to be with him. Instead of just moving the closing teacher (me) to full-time for the summer, my employer takes a new teacher into the classroom. I honestly have no problems with my coworkers and I am grateful that the new teacher has a superb source of unlimited energy, but I kind of new the hours. I'm hoping that if I can get more hours during the summer, I can start helping Brad's mom out with the bills she is currently paying because we are financially unable to take care of (cable, health insurance, car insurance, phone, etc.) and still have some savings to put away. Currently, my bi-weekly paycheck is delegated as follows:

45% --> Daycare costs
25% --> Saved in case of emergency (helping with rent, doctor visits, car maintenence, etc.)
20% --> Gas
10% --> A month's worth of diapers

That leaves me with nothing left to save toward the wedding. Will Brad and I get a wedding? Sure. It will have to be scaled back like crazy, and we may have to ask the wedding party to pay for their own attires, shoes, tux rentals, flowers, etc. but we'll have one. Thank God I got the dress already... And I absolutely refuse to ask for money from family, because they have enough to pay for, both to support themselves and for us. I do not want to add onto their payments.

Someday, I will be married, own a house, then own my own daycare service. I want to be self-employed doing what I want to do. Then I won't have to worry about competing for hours with my coworkers.

Thank God I love the kids I help teach and my teaching coworkers. Otherwise, I might look for a new job in education... Those kids make my job enjoyable (even if they are crazy and bouncing off the walls). The teacher in the two's room is also awesome. I can talk to her about almost anything and she's either had experience with it and can give advice or she just listens when no one else will. She's a great teacher too. She also has amazing energy, is great with the kids, and has all sorts of great activities up her sleeves. I hope to be as good a teacher as her someday :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On another note, my birthday is in 8 days...and I don't really care. It's not like it's a "milestone" birthday, just 20. I'm kind of hoping I can just get the one thing I want (a Nook Color from Barnes and Noble) and that's the end of it. I don't want a birthday cake, especially not one with 20 candles on it. I don't want to be reminded that everything and everyone is getting older and time is passing on. Plus, there are a lot of things in my life I'd like to forget. Each candle represents a memory, be it one I want to remember or one I want to forget.

I am very thankful that I have Brad and Cael with me. I can't imagine life without them. It would be like not breathing. Some days, I might say I want away from them, that I want a break. But it's not true. I love just being in the same room as them. It doesn't matter if we're actively doing something together, or off in separate corners of the house doing our own things. I love being around them. I love watching them, talking to them. I love Brad and Cael <3

Hopefully the next time I post, it won't be as grim and grouchy as this post... *fingers crossed*

Thank God I Love This Kid Or I Might Have To Drop-Kick Him Out The Window

Cael has gotten into this nasty habit of screaming a high-pitched (girly) scream. It's used for when he's mad, happy, playing, talking, eating, and when he wants attention. I'm TIRED of it. I swear my ear drums are going to burst when he does it.

Tomorrow is his 15 month Well Child Checkup. Hopefully no shots *fingers crossed* I still can't believe he's 15 months old :) It feels like time has flown by. I kind of wish he hadn't grown up as fast, as I currently watch him drip juice onto his highchair tray and spread it around with his hand... What a messy boy he's grown into lol

His habits when he gets angry have changed too. If we tell him no or remove him from a situation where he is doing something unsanitary or unsafe, he slams his head on the ground then finds the nearest portable object and proceeds to chuck it across the room or push it into the wall repeatedly (this happens frequently with chairs). All the while, screaming his high-pitched siren wail.

Our routines have changed as well, which could be causing the mood swings (that and the fact that he's a stubborn child lol). We've been taking nightly walks after dinner which is awesome because we can get out of the house and I can get more exercise in :) I've been losing a lot of weight since the summer started! Most of my eating habits have changed too. Yesterday and the day before were pretty cruddy though because it was two days before my monthlies started so I ended up eating McDonalds and a whole package of chewy Chips Ahoy cookies (damn hormones...).

Cael and I also painted a present for Brad for Father's Day. It was probably the worst idea ever but it was fun while it lasted! Yesterday, my dad, mom, and Natalie met Cael and me in Columbia so we could all go to the Kids Workshop at the Home Depot there. Cael "helped" my dad "bang bang" the nails in until the box was finished lol Then Cael picked out the colors for the box. He actually said the names of the colors he wanted too! My dad bought the little sample paints that come with a brush attached to the inside of the lid. So today Cael picked out the red paint and we attempted to paint the box (attempted being the key word there). He ended up stick the entire brush into his mouth after painting just a few strokes...so I decided we were done. He was not happy at all about this, especially when I hosed him off in the tub with semi cold water. I don't think we will be doing paint again for a while.

I got my wedding dress yesterday as well :D I had an appointment a few weeks back and they had first told me that my dress wouldn't be in until June 20th and it came a week early! It's gorgeous and I can't wait to wear it! The style number for it is V9675 if you want to look for it on www.davidsbridal.com. I love it :) It's my princess gown!

Brad started a Paper Mario play through for me (N64) and I got so into it that I started my own save file for the game. Now I can play along with Brad :) It's great that it's an easy game and he's been really helpful when I get to parts I don't remember and opponents I can't beat.

Well I'm going to end it here so I can watch Brad play Paper Mario (I don't want to miss anything important since I'm almost to Lavalava Island lol). Hopefully you enjoy your days as well!

Dinosaur Train Rules My Life

I don't know if you all have heard about what happened in Joplin, Missouri (well, you probably have if you use the Internet and watch the news regularly) but a massive mile-wide tornado ripped through the city leaving 117 people dead, and that's a continuing number... My friend Tosha and her family live there and made it out "alive and intact...just scared and shaken," as Tosha said in her text on Sunday night. I was so worried. I'm making a care package for her (need another box...) with some things she needs.
Cael is growing so fast that I'm having a hard time keeping up! He's running (no longer walking) and can say more words than some of the older kids in his class lol It would be too long of a list if I posted what he can say! He is also understanding more than we give him credit for and we have started resoring to spelling things out. He knows way too much sometimes! If you ask him if he wants a bath, he runs to the bathroom. If you ask him if he wants to eat, he runs into the kitchen and whines until you open the fridge door. And if you ask him where Elmo is, he looks all around the apartment until he either finds a shirt or book with Elmo on it or his beanbag Elmo doll. He dances to the theme song from Dinosaur Train (which is stuck in my head all the time) and "Till the World Ends" by Britney Spears lol He loves reading books too. And by reading, I mean letting you read the first two pages then shutting the book, giggling, and walking away with the book. I have memorized "Good Night Moon" from reading it so many times. And every time Cael hears the train go by our house, he runs to the kitchen window to wave bye-bye to it lol

He has started the stranger and separation anxiety thing so when I take him to daycare now, he cries and screams... It makes me feel so bad... He has never done that before. I started taking him in August 2010 and 9 months later is when he decides to start making me feel bad.

I'm back on my medication now. I've remembered it for a week straight now :) I'm getting better with remembering things too, which is not necessarily a good thing (I have memorized the opening theme to Dinosaur Train and it's constantly running through my head). I have also been working harder on eating healthy and exercising more. With working at the daycare, I've been getting some exercise just chasing and lifting the kids and dancing with them but I haven't really lost any weight but it's definitely easier to carry up two armloads of groceries :) I've been trying to do Pilates every day too but there are some days when I have to go into work early or I'm doing housework instead. Hopefully I can get into a better routine since my classes have ended for the semester.

I'm also taking control of our finance records (keeping bills, receipts, etc. and watching what I'm spending money on) since I've had to tap into my savings account way too much recently for daycare expenses. As of now, we don't quite have enough for the wedding. But I did buy my dress not that long ago. It's pretty :D It's my princess dress lol

Well that's all I've got right now. I'll try to post more often now *fingers crossed that I can keep up*

Weekend Post Again

This week was NUTS. Surprise, surprise lol


This past week was Teacher Appreciation Week so every day was something new at school! On Monday, we had a lunch provided for us by the school board. Tuesday, we got a card for a paid day off. Wednesday, we were told about a dinner planned for next Wednesday for all the teachers and their guests. Thursday (the best day), we got a ten minute massage from Euphoria Salon and Day Spa (http://www.euphoria-warrensburg.com/) and I totally recommend going their. It was ten minutes of pure heaven :D Friday, Liz got a bunch of items (gift cards, candles, lotions, a purse, flip flops, etc.) and every teacher's name got drawn so they could pick what they wanted off the cart. By the time my name got drawn, the super cute purse was still there but I knew that if I would've taken it Brad would've given me crap about having another bag at home lol I ended up taking a gift card for Papa John's. I love that the school is so giving and treat their employees wonderfully :) I'm so happy to work for ECOC!

Cael has been sleeping through the night every night. It's seriously blowing my mind, especially because on Thursday, he napped from 1:15 to 4:25 and still slept well that night. Last night he slept from 11 pm to 11 am. I think he must be going through a growth spurt or something!

Cael and his second cousin Marc were playing today and it was so adorable how they interacted with each other!

We stayed pretty late at Russ and Judy's tonight. Cael was so sleepy that he tried to cuddle up with Rex (Brad's cat) and surprisingly Rex was okay with it...until Cael started to pull at his face lol I caught a picture before the attack happened

Eventful Days

The weekend was crazy awesome!

Saturday

My mom, dad, sister, and grandma all came to visit! We went to Heroes for lunch and hung out at the apartment while Cael played like crazy. He has been walking so much and he loves it! My mom and grandma headed over to my great aunt's house (in Lee's Summit) and my dad and Natalie stuck around for a little longer. My dad fixed my dryer! The vent flap wasn't closing properly so a sparrow family got in there and built a nest. Then a starling took over so every morning, we would hear them fight, starting at 4 am. I was not happy. When my dad took the hose and everything out of the wall, we found that the nest was actually inside the dryer. That explained why there was a burning smell every time I turned the dryer on lol but we got it all out and my dad put a new vent in the wall (after cutting out part of the drywall to make it fit... the building had settled since the first vent was put in). Now I can use the dryer and hear the birds smack into the vent :)

My dad and Natalie left after a while and Cael and I went to Wal Mart and Parkers to get the grocery shopping done. The whole way to and from the store, he kept saying "guh-guh" and I could only assume it was for "Grandma" or "Grandpa" lol When we got to Parkers, I let Cael hold on to my grocery list, so he pointed to it and said, very forcefully, "Da da da guh guh guh dis" telling me what to get next. It was hilarious! He was yelling the whole way through the store and had all the cashiers and customers laughing.

Sunday

I went with the Vater ladies (my grandma's sisters and their female children and grandchildren) to the New Theatre in Overland Park. Apparently this is something they do every year, around this time. I had no idea until my mom said my grandma was wondering if I wanted to go. It was really cool! The theater is a dinner theater so we had an amazing buffet lunch before the show started. I had marinated chicken in white wine sauce, sauteed and steamed veggies, polenta, and garlic mashed potatoes. It was amazing!

The show we saw was "The Odd Couple" starring George Wendt and Tim Kazurinsky and it was pretty funny. At intermission, the restaurant serves dessert so my mom and I shared a tasty creme brulee. I'm glad we did share it because the dishes was pretty big for something so sweet and rich.

When I got back, Cael was so excited to see me :)

-------------------------------------------------

Cael has been having a terrible time with his eczema, especially on his ankle. At 2 am Monday morning, he woke up screaming and scratching, so I put his lotions and creams on the site and we laid on the futon so I could hold his legs to keep him from scratching. At 5 am he tossed and turned enough to fall off the futon. It was a rough morning, but he slept good last night :) All the way from 8 pm to 10 am. Not even joking. I was so happy, especially because last night I started to get sick with something that's been going around the 2's room at daycare (nausea, stomach pain, the runs, etc.) I'm feeling better now but I still have that crampy pain in my abdomen... Hopefully it will be gone by tomorrow morning though.

My Kid Is A Genius :)

Yesterday, a Parents As Teachers advocate came to the daycare to do free development screenings for the kids under the age of 3. She started in Cael's class. At the end of the day, she came into my room to ask me some more questions about what he does at home, if there's been any problems, etc. and she tells me that, out of all the other babies that were around his age, he scored the highest in all of the categories tested! He missed out on a few points in the Personal/Social section because he didn't roll the ball with the observer (guess he didn't feel like sharing that one lol). She said his fine motor skills are "amazing" because he can stack 3 or more blocks on top of each other, which isn't really expected at 13 months. She also said he shared a lot of the toys with her and told her many of the words he knows. He also showed her how he can flip the light switch off, which he does all the time at home. She said he's extremely smart! :) You have no idea how proud I am of Cael!

Last night, after dinner, Cael and I went for a walk outside. I picked a dandelion and was telling Cael "flower" and stroking it on my face and then his face, saying "pretty." He grabbed it from me and started to rub it on my face and say "pretty" lol Then we took it back inside so Brad could see and he did the same thing to Brad! It was so cute! He was just clutching the little dandelion like it was the most important thing in the world and wouldn't let it go :)

He's been sleeping through the night (pretty much) for the past few days. Last night he went to bed at 8 and woke up at 4 this morning :) That's REALLY good for him!

This morning I was trying to get him ready for school. I tried to take off his Elmo pajamas (which he loves) and he threw a HUGE fit. I decided we didn't really need to fight over this so I changed his diaper and put his socks and Elmo jacket on. When I went out into the living room to get my jacket and shoes on, he found his Elmo slippers and wouldn't let go of them, so I put them on his feet lol This is the whole ensemble

He was sooooooo happy lol When we got to school, he pointed up at the tree outside his classroom and said "tree"! That's the first time I've heard him say that! Now he has a whole bunch of words to say! This is his word list right now:

• Tree
• Light
• Kitty cat
• Mama
• Dada
• No no
• More
• Mo-mo (Elmo)
• Tickle-tickle (he says this when we see grass, since usually when we play in the grass, I tickle his face with a piece and say "tickle-tickle" lol)
• Bye bye
• On
• Off
• Dat (that)
• Duck
• Dog

He can also sign "cup" (which he uses for cup, truck, and up). He waves bye bye when he hears or sees a train or when someone says "train." He's so dang smart! It makes me so happy!

He also loves making messes when he eats. With this video, I turned around for literally two minutes to talk to Brad and send a text of the tent we had set up for Cael and when I came back, this is what I found lol

I'm so proud of my big boy! To think he's already grown up this fast!

Pooey... He's Too Big For Mama Now

Cael is one. I still can't believe it! His birthday parties were a hit. On the day of his birthday, we had a party at Russ and Judy's house. Lots of family came over and Cael got some really cool toys :) These included a turtle sandbox, a spring door stop mounted on a block of wood (from Papa Russ, since Cael like to play with the door stop in the bathroom at their house), a glittery ball, some clothes, and a magnet toy for the fridge. He wasn't greatly excited by these since it was past afternoon nap time.

The special cake for Cael (made with rice flour and soymilk)

Dinosaur sandwiches!

The dye stayed on him for four days lol

Playing with cousin Karley. He loves her hair

The Kirksville party was good too. He made out like a bandit there! Tons of balls, lots of interactive toys, a walker that converts into a car, and a cute outfit for summer.

On Saturday, we got his one year pictures taken at the Wal Mart portrait studio and Cael absolutely refused to smile. Then when got a few with his hands in his mouth when he was smiling. We got some cute ones though!

Cael has another ear infection as well, which makes 4 in less than 6 months. He had a fever of 102 for two days and ended up having a mild febrile seizure (spastic muscle movement when your temperature is too high). The stupid thing was this all started 8 hours AFTER we had seen the doctor for a swollen lymph node. Ridiculous how fast these things crop up. He's doing better now though and is at school today :)

Daycare has been going pretty well too. We have a few new friends now and we're attempting to work on pottying in the big kid potty with two of our three year olds (they can't move into the three's class until they can use the potty). I have resorted to bribing them with candy and stickers, the two most popular items in our class. So far, one child is taking well to it, even though he usually has a bowel movement before we get to the potty (he wears Pull-Ups). There are a ton of sweet kids in my room and I was extremely sad when one of ours graduated to the three's room. He and I were buddies.

Cael is determined to prove that he's growing up too. He won't let me kiss on him as much as I used to. He doesn't want to play with me, only by himself and with his toys. He cruises everywhere (but still isn't walking, grrrr). He points to what he wants and screams bloody murder when he doesn't get it. He also attempted to throw away a brochure I got from the WIC office about weaning your baby from the bottle (he's getting smarter). He responds when I ask him questions too, even though it may not actually be what he wants (for example, I asked him if he wanted to get dressed this morning and he nodded his head. When I went to change him, he screamed "no no no" at me). When he smiles now, he wrinkles up his nose. He also makes a fishy face all the time which is pretty funny. He's learning new sounds and has "almost" words. I just can't believe the progress he's made, from birth to now. It's incredible, but hard because I know the more he grows, the more independent he'll be...

DUUUUUUUUUDE!

I haven't posted in like two months! What is wrong with me?!?!

Well, I don't know if you noticed this or not, but Cael is turning one year old in six days. SIX DAYS. Am I freaking out? Yes, that's what I do.

Everyone has been well here. Cael has six teeth, is cruising and speed-crawling, and flirts his little heart out when there are girls around. He loves to say "dada," "mama," "no no," and "kee ka" (kitty cat). He also says "bubba" and "Gigi" (Brad's grandma). He weighs around 19 pounds and still has a big head and short body for his age. We're getting a "big boy" car seat for his birthday from Grandma Judy and Papa Russ. He's getting so big that I'm starting to get lost... He's already getting more independent and is hardly ever near me, can I handle anymore growing up? I guess I'll have to...

Brad's still at the copy center and loving it. He also recently (Christmas time) got an iPod Touch which he constantly plays with. He also has a brand new headset (Triton AX720) for the PS3 and is one a clan for Black Ops.

I'm at the daycare now and working roughly 25 hours a week. I love it there! It's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than retail in any shape or form, especially anything at Dollar General. The people I work with are awesome and the kids are fun and hilarious. We have bad days sometimes but it's to be expected from two-year-olds. On Friday, we played with snow and talked about airplanes and cars (our current unit is transportation). I'm also taking all online classes and it's going really well so far. Though, it does seem like every week I end up slacking on one class while taking care of the rest. This week I accidentally slid off on my Technology for Teachers class. Whoops! Luckily I got most of it caught up tonight.

I found out on Thursday, when one of Cael's teachers was clocking out for the day, that she and Cael had a tickle fight and he headbutted her and busted her lip. It had swollen up and I felt so bad! She was a good sport though and laughed it off. I'm glad it wasn't anything more serious!

I found out this past week that another manager at Dollar General has quit and one cashier is leaving within a few weeks. The store manager is out "sick" with something that is requiring her to take off two weeks (ish). I remember having to pretty much pull teeth if another employee (or I) was sick and couldn't come in. Lovely how management always gets the best treatment and the employees under them get crapped on.

I figured since I've had a rant on here about my previous employer's poor management skills, I should break it up with some new(ish) pictures of Cael!



Messy boy in the bath





My first time using Picnik (and yes, that is his original eye color!) Looks diferent in black-and-white!




This kid loves him some green beans